Stitches
by FaithoftheAir
Summary: Link has defeated Calamity Ganon, the princess had been saved, and his memories have been restored. At least... some of them have been. There are holes, missing pieces from his past that torment his mind. Can he repair the dropped stitches in his memory before the clues to his past are lost forever? Post BOTW, Zelink.
1. chapter 1

" _Do you... truly remember me?"_

Those words rattled in Link's mind as he looked to the unconscious princess before him. Zelda, torn, tattered, and exhausted, lay asleep in the bed in front of him. Shortly after leaving Hyrule Castle, Zelda had fallen asleep on the way to Kakariko Village, and had yet to awaken. Link had been inherently worried at first, as she nearly fell off the horse. Impa had cleared his mind of any worry when they arrived however.

" _I suppose you've never gone a century without a nap, have you?_ " she had joked.

It had then made sense to the young man, however, he still hadn't left her side for long since. One hundred years had passed, and yet, she looked exactly as he remembered on the day of Calamity, down to the tear stains on her dirtied face and the emerald eyes that had shone despite her state. That was what had taken Link by surprise. He did remember her. He remembered her clearly. Too clearly.

Link shook the thought from his mind; why ponder what can never be answered? He retrieved his small bowl of warm water and rag from the small nightstand and began to wipe the one hundred year old grime off of the Princess' face.

It's the least I can do, he thought, after all, she fought a battle intended for me for a century. Link froze for a moment and let out a frustrated sigh. All that time speaking of how she was a failure…

"Link," called a gentile old voice behind him, "You can go to sleep you know. I promise she will still be there when you wake."

The knight jerked quickly on his stool, finding Impa with her teasing smirk. Link let out a relieved breath and nodded in response to the old woman.

"Truly, though, you've had quite a day yourself. Why not rest?"

"Not tired," he responded simply, continuing his task. Zelda smiled slightly at the warm touch, but did not wake even as Impa took a seat at the foot of the bed. As he worked, Impa's knowing smirk was trained ever on the young man. Eventually, he huffed and turned to the old woman.

"You're a fantastic liar, you know. Even in the glory days, you could fool near everyone into thinking that nothing ever troubled you. Do you wish to hear a secret, though?" Link's confused look only bemused her more as she leaned in closer.

"The man who held the world on his shoulders eventually was crushed by the weight."

The young man pursed his lips and gave a small nod, saying nothing. Impa could tell he brooded the thought, however, as he went back to wiping the Princess's face. He was gentle, careful not to wake her or-

"She won't break, you know," Impa commented, "You touch her as if she is made of porcelain."

"I don't want to wake her," He whispered. Impa laughed quietly at the prospect.

"I believe that the gods themselves could not wake this woman right now." Link couldn't help but smile at the old woman's joke. Perhaps she was right. He wasn't sure why he hovered so much, why he treated the princess so delicately. Old habits die hard, I suppose, he thought to himself.

He couldn't lie to himself, however. He knew the real answer plain as day. Link pursed his lips in thought and turned to the old woman. There was no harm in a question, was there?

"Impa, do you mind if I ask you something," he questioned quietly.

"Oh, come now," She responded with a raspy, soft chuckle, "When have I ever minded your questions?"

Link didn't ask right away. He opened and closed his mouth, fishing for the right words.

"Have you ever…" He trailed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Have I ever… what?" Impa inquired, confused. Link took a deep breath before starting again.

"Have you ever felt like… let me put it like this," He attempted to explain, "Think of a ball of yarn. The use of the ball of yarn is to be made into an article of cloth, something of use; but when you knit, occasionally a few stitches will be forgotten. Once you see the mistake, you should undo all the work you've done just to repair that one stitch."

Impa tilted her head to the side, confused and concerned, the chains on her conical hat rattling slightly.

"Impa, I feel like someone knitted me together, but did it so quickly that they didn't go back and fix the dropped stitches." He explained, a cynical smirk on his countenance while he fiddled with the warm cloth in his hand. "Creating this cloth that cannot keep any warmth or protection…"

"Link, my dear boy," Impa soothed as she placed a comforting hand on the young knight's shoulder, "do you not know what you have accomplished? Ganon is defeated, the Divine Beasts are back under our control, and you rescued your friend from the depths Hell itself. You've done so much and come so far. How can you say you cannot protect when you have done nothing but since you awoke?"

"Because none of it was me." Link responded immediately, "It was all her." He motioned to Zelda, face now clean, sleeping soundly and peacefully.

"I barely have any memories of what I once was, but I do know this. If it hadn't been for Zelda, I would have failed twice." Link's fierce blue eye bore into the old woman at that moment, both sombre and bitter.

"And once was one time too many."

Impa was stunned for a moment. Not only was this the most Link had ever to spoken to her, either in this century or the last, but never had she seen someone victorious look so… defeated.

"Dear boy, you are far too hard on yourself. You released the Divine Beast, You found the Master Sword, You defeated the Calamity Ganon." She pointed a grizzled old finger at the young man, "You did that. Please do not forget this."

Link didn't respond at first, but smiled, his face now guarded as it ever was. Eventually, he nodded and returned his gaze to the Princess. Impa sighed in frustration, but did not argue.

"Well, if you're not going to sleep, you can at least eat something." She said, groaning as she stood with her small cane. Link could help but perk his eyes at the prospect of food. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten since his battle with Calamity Ganon.

Imma smirked once more as she heard the hero's stomach rumble.

"I'll get something for you." She stated. Link, of course got up himself and tried to exit the room, However, the quick thwip of Impas wooden cane blocking the doorway stopped him.

"I assure you that I have more than enough energy in these old bones to whip up some food." She pointed back to the stool. Link looked as if he was going to argue, "No buts, young man. Go rest."

Whether from the motherly tone Impa used or Link's sheer exhaustion, he obeyed with a huff. Impa, on the other hand, looked quite happy with herself.

She fumbled her way out of the room and down the stairs. Paya was waiting, nervously biting at her fingernails. As she saw her grandmother come in, however, she ran to the elderly woman.

"How are they? I-is the princess alright? I-is L-link getting any rest? Oh, I'm so worried about them…". Paya raddled, wrinkling the fabric of her tunic, "Wh-what of when she wakes, she doesn't remember him? What if the battle with Ganon drained her so much that she just fades? What i-"

"Calm yourself, dear!" Impa interrupted, "They will both be fine. They just need some rest. I was actually going to bring Link some dinner."

"Oh!" Paya cheered instantly. She ran to the nearby table and retrieved something, then returned, holding a black box with an enticing aroma. "I, um… I already took care of that…"

Impa looked at the container with interest as the young lady opened the clay lid. It was filled to the brim with all kinds of fish, rice, fresh fruits and other delicious foods. That must have taken quite a while, Impa mused. Her granddaughter's little infatuation with the hero was not something Impa had missed.

"I just wanted to s-say thank you to him, you know? For all he's done; and I know how much he adores a good meal, and… um…" Paya trailed off, blushing as deep of a pink as the salmon in the dish.

"Thank you, dear. I'll let him know it was from you."

"Oh!" Paya exclaimed, covering her face, "Please don't! Oh, I would be so embarrassed, grandmother! Can't you say you made it?"

"I don't think he'd believe me if I did, m'dear." Impa chucked, but she understood her granddaughter's dilemma. The poor girl was just too shy. "But if you wish, I will not tell him you made it for him."

"T-t-thank you, grandmother." Paya replayed quietly, clasping her hands together. The young lady turned, stepped to the window and knelt, resuming her nightly prayers. Impa couldn't help but be proud of what a sweet and devoted grandchild she had.

Impa took over the grand task of climbing the stairs once more to Paya's room, the box in tow. However, once she entered, soft snoring could be heard in pairs.

Impa peeked around the corner and found the hero fast asleep on the stool, his head and arms resting on the side of the small bed. Impa's smile returned once more as she placed the box on the nightstand and hobbled over to retrieve a spare blanket. The hero didn't even budge as the elderly woman draped it over him.

"Not tired, eh?" She mused, taking one more look at the pair of sleeping Hylians before blowing out the candle.

"Sleep well, Heroes."


	2. Chapter 2

Zelda awoke with a groan. She felt as though she could still sleep more, however she could also feel the impending headache from sleeping far too long, as well. Zelda grinned and ran her fingers through her matted hair. How long had it been since she had slept that soundly; even before the Calamity began?

The princess raised her hands as she stretched, trying to hold back a yawn. Suddenly, something crossed her mind. Not only did she not know where she was, but her friend was nowhere to be found. She looked about as she rose from the bed, noticing it was now at least late afternoon. He had to be awake by now, she figured. On her way out of the bedroom, the Princess caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and winced.

Her hair was in a complete rat's nest, and grime covered both her dress and herself. It did not miss her that her face was completely clean, however. _How on Earth did that happen?_ She thought, confused. Before she could go into explanations for the phenomenon, her thoughts were interrupted.

"O-oh! You're awake!" Zelda heard from the entrance. Not being used to company for the past century, Zelda yelped in surprise.

"I-Impa?" Zelda muttered, squinting a bit, "Wait.. no…" The young lady before her certainly had some traits of the princess' old friend, however, this woman's face was covered in tattoos and her hair was a different consistency. Besides, the more the Princess thought of it, there was no way Impa would have remained this young.

"N-n-no, Your Majesty!" The girl bowed her head slightly, "My name is Paya. I-Impa is my grandmother… you see…"

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed, deep in thought, "Of course, of course." The thought of one of her best friends being a grandmother was alien to the princess. Zelda still felt young, still _looked_ young, but the world went on without her. All of her friends, all of her family… anyone who survived the Calamity must have been _ancient_ at this point or…

Zelda shook the thought from her mind. It was something she thought of often while she was containing Ganon. It was no shock.

 _Then why does it pain me so much?_ Zelda inwardly cried, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Are you a-alright, Your Majesty?" Paya asked, concerned.

"Hm?" Zelda responded, half in her own mind, "Oh, yes, I'll be fine. Just thinking, is all." Zelda perked herself up, not wanting to worry the young woman in front of her. "And you do not have to call me 'Your Majesty,' you know. We've been one hundred years without a monarch, I highly doubt my title has any pull anymore."

"Then what should I call you?" Paya questioned shyly, fidgeting with her tunic.

"Zelda is quite alright, thank you," The Princess answered, smiling gently.

"Alright, Lady Zelda," Paya replied

"N-no just Zel-" Zelda started but was cut off. Perhaps she wasn't heard by Paya.

"I should go tell my grandmother you are awake! She'll be so pleased!" And without another thought, Paya skipped down the stairs happily.

Zelda sighed heavily. It was as if she had forgotten how to communicate. How long had it been since she had a proper conversation? She talked _at_ Link, but, as per usual, he did not speak much back. It was much like speaking to a wall with a face painted upon it, much like it was before he opened up to her. Did he forget that much?

Before she had time to ponder these thoughts further, Zelda was greeted by a familiar, yet much older, voice.

"My dearest Zelda… It's been one hundred years…"

Zelda's breath stilted as she turned to the door once more. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Impa was there. One hundred years and one of her dear friends still lived, still breathed. Impa opened her arms wide, and Zelda ran to return the embrace. She felt the arms of her old friend wrap around her like a security blanket.

"It has been too long, my friend," Zelda whispered, her eyes burning and threatening to release tears she had been holding back for one hundred years.

"Indeed it has," Impa agreed gentilly, tracing comforting circles on the Princess' back before taking her friend by the shoulders to get a good look at her face. "I must say I am quite jealous. Time has been all too kind to you" Zelda laughed in return, wiping some spare tears from her eyes.

"I'd tell you the secret," she sniffled, "but I am afraid I do not quite know it myself. And do not speak so harshly of yourself, Impa," Zelda jokingly reprimanded. "I would dare anyone to look half as beautiful as you at a century old! You're gorgeous, do you hear me?"

"I do, my dear," Impa laughed heartily, "I do. Oh, we have so much to speak of." Impa looked at her old friend, a smirk growing on her face, "Though before we speak of the old days, perhaps you should rid yourself of what remains from them. That grime must be a century old, my girl!"

"Well, I'm sorry," Zelda retorted jokingly, "I had some priorities… such as sleeping for, what, twenty hours straight?" The hours following were filled with laughter, memories, and amazingly hot water. Zelda hadn't felt more at peace than in those moments.

By the time Link had returned from hunting and preparing his catch, he could hear girlish giggling from the upstairs bedroom of Impa's home. Curious, he placed the prepared and paper wrapped venison on the table and headed up the stairs. Quiet as ever, he could hear the women sharing stories and gossip. At first he rolled his eyes, and then he heard his name.

"I can't help it, Link is so strong and quiet… it's slightly intimidating, and I'm just too shy…"

"Oh, Paya there is no reason to be scared of Link," He heard Zelda say. He couldn't help but grin. She was awake!

"Oh, Impa, have I ever told you the story of how he once tried to ride two horses at the same time?"

Link stopped in his tracks.

 _Oh._ He dreaded to himself. _Oh no._ Link might have not remembered much. But this… this he remembered. Mostly because he tried again one hundred years later. That jogged his memory. It also was just as unsuccessful.

"So, there we were in Hyrule Field, perhaps slightly south of the Outpost there, and we had just returned from the Spring of Power. I was feeling, well… that isn't important. So, anyway, Link sees this group of horses gallop in front of us and he gets this idea." Zelda giggled, "He got this ridiculous smile on his face and told me to watch. Imagine my surprise as he mounts his horse, rides right up to one of the other horses and places one foot on his own horses back, and the other onto one of the wild ones! At first I was impressed! He really did look rather masterful for a moment." Zelda then burst into a fit of laughs.

"But _then,_ " The Princess started, "Then the wild horse just bucks underneath him and he falls! Not onto the ground, oh no, he gets caught in the saddle by- _ha! Ha ha!-_ by his _belt._ " The other women start cackling at full strength.

"Oh _no,_ " Link heard Paya giggle, "Was- _haha-_ was he o-okay?"

"Oh, Paya, you should have seen it!" Zelda continued, "He-"

There was a knock on the door frame.

"Any...any chance I can interrupt?" Link asked, red-faced and quiet.

"Yes, my boy, come on in," Impa beckoned, "Zelda was just telling us a story about you."

"I heard." He replied sternly. However, when he looked at the Princess, he couldn't help but smile. She was all clean, her still-wet hair draping over her shoulders. Her emerald eyes shone all the brighter as her smile reached them. Her cheeks were blushed from the heat of the bath she no doubt just had and her skin was like polished porcelain.

He had to make sure he didn't stare for too long. Link shook his head and mind, clearing his throat before continuing.

"I, um," he fished, "I caught dinner, if anyone is hungry."

"Oh, yes, actually," Zelda perked, obviously excited at the prospect of food, "What are we having?"

"Well," Link started quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. He hadn't really decided yet. "What would you like?"

Zelda looked deep in thought for a moment. She most likely hadn't eaten anything since Calamity Ganon was sealed away, at least she hadn't to Link's knowledge. Suddenly, the Princess looked up with a grin.

"If I remember correctly, you made a fantastic meat stew, didn't you?"

The truth was, Link couldn't remember if he had even cooked in the past. Perhaps it was something he just picked up along his journey. However, with those green orbs staring at him pleadingly, he couldn't refuse. A small smile grew on his face.

"Meat stew it is then."

"The first meal I've had in a century," Zelda groaned, grasping at her stomach, "and I decide to eat so much that I make myself ill."

"To be fair, dear, I could barely keep myself from eating too much," Impa smiled, "That was delicious, Link, my boy."

"Hm?" Link hummed, lost in his thoughts while washing the dishes from the meal.

"I said, the meal was delicious," Impa scolded, "Do try to pay attention when someone compliments you."

Link laughed softly and nodded in thanks.

"Really, though, Link," Zelda asked with a grin, "Where did you learn to cook like this? I had always wondered in the past, as well."

Link just shrugged. He never really had learned. Cooking, somehow, had come naturally to him. It was an inherent skill he had come to enjoy. He found it rather relaxing and comforting somehow.

"Wait a moment," Impa said with a sneaky smile, "If I remember correctly, your mother owned a tavern in Castle Town. Rather popular, from what I had seen, when I found it necessary to visit."

Link froze. His mother? It had never occurred to him. He was _here_ , wasn't he? Obviously he had to have had a mother. He couldn't remember her; not a single thing about her. All of the sudden, he wondered what she was like. Was she stern or loving? Was she funny? Did Link even _like_ his mother?

"My…" Link muttered, barely audible.

"Your mother, yes!" Impa explained, "Now I remember! It was called 'The Stewpot Inn,' I think. I never got to go in, myself, but I always heard lots of laughter from that place, before it closed. That was a good while before we met you, though, Link. Wouldn't have known if your father hadn't mentioned it once or twice."

"The…" Link stammered, his hands starting to shake, "The… Stewpot…?" Link's eyes found the now clean stew pot he had used earlier.

There was a loud _CRASH_ as the terra cotta bowl in Link's hands fell to the floor.

"Link?" Zelda called, her voice sounding frightened, "Link, what is the matter?"

He didn't move, his bright blue eyes were moving wildly, as if he were seeing something different. He started to mutter slightly under his breath, unintelligible. His breathing quickened. Suddenly, Zelda knew. He was remembering. He was in the past.

Zelda stood from her seat and rushed to her friend, taking his face in her hands.

"Link? Link, come now, " She urged gently, "Look at me. We're here. We're with you." She tried desperately to get him to focus his eyes on her, but the memory only worsened. He fell back a tad, and Zelda could see a cold sweat developing on his face. _What could he be seeing?_ The Princess panicked.

Link, unable to move back any farther, tripped and fell to the floor. It frightened the knight, but did not break him of his vision. The young man curled up and began to weep, grasping at his hair like a child grasping a security blanket. It was as if he had to hold onto something, anything.

Zelda knelt in front of her knight, her eyes beginning to feel the warmth of tears herself. _All that was mentioned was his mother, wasn't it?_ She thought desperately, _Could it have been that terrible?_

"Link, please…" She begged, urging him to look at her once more. Her small hands took ahold of his rough ones. She could feel how his body shook, how upset he was. She hadn't seen him recover a memory first-hand, but it couldn't have been like this _every_ time, could it?

 _I… I didn't do this to him, did I?_ She thought, trying desperately to hold herself together. This wasn't about her. Not now.

"Please," she begged, giving her knights hands a comforting squeeze, "come back."

Link's eyes finally began to focus onto her. He looked around, attempting to adjust his eyes to reality. He tried to control his breathing as his friends looked on with concern. The young man looked to the broken bowl, to Zelda kneeling before him. He took a still shaking hand and wiped his face, noticing the tears and sweat.

"Link?" Zelda whispered, deeply concerned. The young man averted his gaze from her, looking down to the ground, his face made of stone; then gently pulled his hands from the Princess's, rose from the floor, and calmly walked out of the now quiet house.

"Wait!" Zelda called after him, rushing toward the door.

"Leave him be, Zelda," Impa suggested calmly, "He's always prefered to do this on his own."

The Princess stopped for a moment, looking to the elder and then back to the door. Impa was right, of course. He _did_ always prefer to fight on his own. Letting others in was a struggle. He shared many secrets with her in the past, many of which she was sure Link could barely remember. However, Link had never mentioned his mother; not once. His late father was his role model and, from what Zelda gathered, his best friend. But of his mother….

"You're right, Impa, he does prefer to fight on his own," Zelda stated, her fists clenched, "but that does not mean he has to."

Without another word, The Princess of Hyrule dashed after her Knight.


	3. Chapter 3

Zelda had found that Link had taken his horse from the stable. Wherever he was going, he was planning for it to be rather far. Zelda had asked to borrow one of the villager's horses and what direction her friend had gone.

" _Towards the Dueling Peaks, it looked like. Not sure where he could be riding, but he looked like he was in a hurry."_

 _In a hurry to where?_ The princess rambled through her mind, _My dear friend, where could you be?_

She galloped with the palomino she had borrowed as fast as she could urge toward the Dueling Peaks. It took nearly three hours to ride there, and it was getting very late. The moon was high, and the young woman was beginning to feel incredibly nervous. It was never confirmed whether the lives of monsters were tied to the Calamity. There had been small herds of Bokoblins since Zelda could remember, and Lionels were older than the written word. For them to just suddenly disappear…

Before she could ponder the subject further, she saw lights in the distance illuminating a large wooden horse with a tent below it. The stable! Perhaps they had seen Link. She approached the front of the tent, her hair windblown and her cheeks red from the chill.

"Have you seen a man riding a horse come through here?" She asked hurriedly, without thinking.

"Couldn't imagine why I would," The horseman at the counter commented, deadpan. Zelda huffed both at his sarcasm and her own vagueness.

"A man, a young man with dark blonde hair and a light blue tunic on?" She asked again, irritation seeping through her voice. She didn't have time for this.

"Oh, yeah! Yeah, he came through here," The man at the counter stated, making a slightly annoyed expression, "He nearly ran me over with his horse, but all he did was buy arrows from Beedle back here and ride off toward the Castle, it looked like. Missed him by about fifteen minutes. Must have had a death wish, too. There's a storm brewing, out that way."

Before he was even finished talking, Zelda was already on her stead and galloping toward Central Hyrule.

"Wait! Wait, lady?!" The stable hand exclaimed, "Didn't you hear what I just said?!"

He simply sighed and went back to his post, muttering something about how people were getting crazier and crazier.

The man wasn't lying about the storm. Rain was stinging Zelda's face as she rode, soaking her to the bone. She was nearly to the old Castletown, nearly to her friend who needed her help. As she entered the old, decrepit ghost town, she jumped as fast as she could off of her mount, her boots splashing the rainwater as she did so.

Her mind raced as she thought of places Link could possibly have gone in this area. Perhaps the old barracks? No, no, she passed those already. He was nowhere to be seen. Her study, maybe? Couldn't be there, what would he want with her old, useless, research materials? She pondered, her eyebrows knotted with her fingers gripping the bridge of her nose. If only she had caught up with him before this.

WIthout warning, Zelda began to hear a growling noise from behind her. She froze, her breath quickening. Perhaps it was just thunder? SHe was standing in the rain, after all. Admittedly frightened, Zelda slowly turned behind her.

A large monster nearly five times her size stared down the princess with what she could only assume was a grin. Drool and rain dripped from its long, blue snout as it raised its enormous spiked club, ready to squash her flat.

 _Run!_ The princess' mind shouted, but her feet stood, shaking in the spot. The horse next to her fled with a terrified whinny, leaving Zelda for royal jelly. _Run, damn it!_ Her mind reeled. She took a step backward as the Moblin began to swing.

"S-stop!" She demanded, her hand up in defense. To Zelda's surprise, the Moblin did so, but only out of confusion as it cocked its head to the side. It began to raise the club again.

"I said, 'stop!'" Zelda commanded once more, pointing a finger. Quite honestly, she had no idea what she was doing and was just as confused as the beast in front of her. The beast's ears drooped a bit, but it tried once more to lift his weapon.

"No!" The princess reprimanded as if the monster was a dog, "Put. It. Down." The Moblin gave something of a whine. " _Drop it."_

Finally, the Moblin dropped the club next to him sadly.

"Good." She rewarded, standing a little firmer, "Good Moblin." The large creature sat down, slightly happy at the compliment. She wasn't aware that moblins even understood Hylian, but perhaps it was the inflection. She wasn't sure. Whatever it was, somehow, it was working. She would have to research this later.

However, what didn't need research was the ridiculously loud sound that came from the monster's stomach. Perhaps that was why it came this far out to the castle. It must have been hungry. She looked around in the small bag of holding that Link had left for her that morning. Perhaps he had left some kind of food in this thing. Soon enough, she found a large piece of gourmet meat.

"Hungry?" She asked excitedly. The Moblin perked at the sight of the raw meat, it's jaws wide in a grin. "Yeah?" The creature nodded with vigor with wide eyes, his tongue lolling out of its mouth.

"Go get it!" she replied with a hearty throw. She must have learned something from Link at some point, for it flew well outside the gate of Castle Town. The Moblin ran after with hungry eyes, grabbed the meat with a tackle, then, ran off in the opposite direction excitedly.

The princess, with a satisfied grin, let out a muffled scream through her tightly closed lips, successfully releasing the panic felt in every inch of her body. She turned about to continue searching, but it seemed her mission was complete.

Link was standing in the rain behind her, the most confounded look she had ever seen on anyone's face, let alone someone as stone-faced as the knight before her. The very epitome of the phrase 'what in the living Hell' was stitched onto every corner of his countenance.

"What?" She questioned, clearing her throat nonchalantly, "Poor thing was hungry. Not everyone swings first and asks questions later, you know."

Link fish-mouthed for a moment, a finger pointed at the sky as if he had a retort at the ready.

"And besides," Zelda continued, stomping forward toward the man, " _ **You**_ _._ Where did _you_ go? You had us all worried sick!"

"That was not my intention," he sighed softly. "You didn't need to come after me. In fact, you shouldn't have. It is still very dangerous, Your Highness."

He became guarded at that moment. Zelda couldn't read him as well as he used to, but she could tell there was a flare of anger and worry in his eyes.

"Well, nonetheless, I am here with you," she stated plainly. Zelda looked to the sky and frowned. "I doubt this will let up anytime soon. We should find shelter."

Fortunately, that was what Link had gone looking for. He gathered her horse and guided them to a large cottage like building. Somehow, the building had remained relatively intact despite the obvious remains of fire damage. Remains of a large kitchen and a dining area were now rotting wood, and many of the stairs leading to the second floor were broken. The fireplace was mostly untouched, it seemed, as Link started a fire and handed the princess a blanket and a rag to dry her sopping hair.

"Thank you," she sniffled softly, wrapping and twisting her mop of hair into the rag. The knight watched, always curious how women did such a thing, however, he didn't have the courage to ask. He then began removing his very wet clothes and wrapping himself in a towel and blanket before Zelda could turn around and sneak a look at Link's 'patented brand Sheikah boxer briefs' (as Link had jokingly coined them).

Once they were both comfortable and drying off, they just sat and stared at the dancing flames before them, unsure of where to begin to mention the Lionel in the room. As Link could stand in silence for an eternity, Zelda was the one to break it.

"So, are you going to explain why you rode all the way back here, or am I going to have to deduce for myself?"

Link simply sunk slightly deeper into his blanket, now covering his nose. He know that he would have to explain at some point, and after she rode after him and was nearly crushed by a Mobin, she certainly deserved an answer. Link just didn't know where, or even how, to begin.

"Hmm. I suppose I shall just have to explain the story to myself." Zelda shrugged with a small smirk. She was good at this, and they both knew it.

"So, you remembered something about your mother. Now going by what Impa said, she was an innkeeper and ran an Inn, which we appear to now be sitting in due to the large kitchen and multiple tables. You remembered something rather terrible about her, something traumatic to you. Going by your expression, she died, possibly before your father did, which helped your drive to become a knight. Perhaps…" She stopped for a second, her expression and voice becoming soft, "perhaps becoming another reason you dislike speaking, and why you are so protective of everyone; why you brood when something is out of your control."

Zelda placed a delicate hand on Link's shoulder. "You couldn't save her…"

Link surprised the woman. He began to laugh; a sort of chortle that only came from a sense of irony.

"I _could_ have saved her. I didn't."

It was something, at least; more than he had mentioned since they had defeated the calamity.

"If it was in your control I'm sure you would have," she replied, moving a bit closer.

He remained silent.

"Link, I know you. I know that you have trouble _remembering_ that I know you… but I do. I know that no matter the cost, you would do anything for those you love, or even those you barely even know. I've seen it firsthand."

The young man shuffled his blanket a bit, his blue eyes brooding into the fire.

"My mother passed as well, as you know," Zelda continued, raising her still wet knees and wrapping her arms about them, "I spent every moment I could with her when I was small. I remember small things, you know, such as picking her flowers from the garden, drawing her pictures, her teaching me to read and explaining her beliefs and thoughts on science with me. She rambled quite a bit, and, erm, I suppose I take after her in that regard, ha ha…

"Then she… she became very ill. The Plague, as it was. My father wouldn't tell me what sickened her, in fear that I wouldn't understand. All that I knew is that she became so thin, and so pale… her hair even fell in clumps… She kept as much of herself covered as she so that I wouldn't be frightened by the sores. Yet… she was still so strong. She was perfect to me in every way, up until the end..."

"All good mothers are." Link replied simply. Zelda turned to her friend, whose eyes were still bewitched by the flames. However, she could see a softness there now, the same softness that was there before the 100 years of calamity. She could hear the bittersweet sadness in his voice. He opened the pages of his book to her once more.

The princess softly laid her head into the knight's shoulder with a bittersweet smile, and he reciprocated in turn.

"Zelda?" Link called, barely above a whisper.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry."

"I am sorry, as well."

It was a comfortable silence that filled the air next, as all that had needed to be spoken, had been.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Thank for reading! This was all that I had pre-written before posting, however, I have no intentions of leaving this story. (Don't let my profile of undone works scare you.)**

 **If you have any suggestions, questions, or critiques feel free to leave them in the reviews. I'll reply as soon as I can!**

 **Thanks and have a great day guys, gals, and non-binary pals~**

 **-Faith**


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